Brush-holder.



PATENTED JUNE so, 1903.

'A. GHURGHWARD.

BRUSH HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED'NOV.13. 1ae9.- RENEWED DBO. 9. 1901.

H0 MODEL.

ln i Lm AL ExAn 1:: E EHUREHWAR \Vl E5525 I Anna EYE UNITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER CHURCHWARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWV YORK.

BRUSH-HOLDER.

FJPEOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,171, dated June 30, 1903. Application filed November 13, 1899. Renewed December 9, 1901. Serial No. 85,150. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER CHURCH- WARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Brush-Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming IO a part of this specification.

My invention relates brushes, and has for its object the provision of an improved brush in which the tension may readily be adjusted and which by its peculiar construction will permit of the brush being removed from its holder without danger of destroying the adjustment of the tension; and it has for its further object the provision of an improved brush wherein the parts may readily be separated and reassembled without difficulty.

The brush of myjnvention is particularly useful in connection with direct-current motors employed for propelling automobiles,

and its construction is such that it may readily be taken apart and reassembled by one who need not'be especially skilled.

, I will explain my invention more particularly by reference to the accompanying drawgo ings, illustrating the preferred embodiment thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of a brush-holder with a pair of brushes in place. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan View, one of the brushes being removed from the brush-holder and a part being broken away to, show a detail of construction more clearly. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation, partially in section, of one of the 40 brushes. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a yoke for uniting the metal stem of the brush with the tension-adjusting screw.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the different views.

The material that the brushes a a are made of is, preferably, carbon, the brushes being preferably of rectangular cross-section adapted to fit corresponding rectangular recesses in the brush-holder b, the brush being capable of longitudinal movement in the said recesses of the brush-holder. The brush-holder to commutatoris, preferably, of the construction shown, the recesses for receiving the brush being alined, so that the brush maybe disposed longitudinally of the commutator-segments engaging the same. A thin rib c separates the recesses.

The brush-holder is provided with an end plate 61 and an extension 6, preferably cast integral therewith to enable the brush-holder to be secured to a suitable support, insulat- 6o ing-washers ff being shown, between which the engaging portion of the support may be disposed, as is Well understood by those skilled in the art.

The brush-holder is provided with an en- 6 largement g,preferably formed integral therewith, this enlargement receiving a clampingscrew h, passed through the same longitudinally of the brush, which clamping-screw engages a main terminal Wire 2' and secures firm 7o electrical connection between the same and the brush-holder. Each brush is provided with an angular plate 70, forming good electrical connection therewith, a stem Z projecting from the plate. One end of the yoke m is interposed between a coil-spring n, surrounding the stem l, and the enlargement 0 of the said stem, the said engaging end of the yoke being capable of'longitudinal movement upon the stem. The other end of the yoke is preferably enlarged to form a sleeve 10, whose bore is smooth. This sleeve incloses a threaded adjusting screw or bolt q, whichis provided with a keyway or slot 0", extending longitudinally thereof. The sleeve 5 p is provided with a key engaging the keyway r, so that the said screw is limited to a longitudinal movement with relation to the sleeve. The screws q are provided with unthreaded extensions 8, adapted for insertion within corresponding holes in transverse extensions t of the brush-holder. The stems Z and screws q extendlongitudinally of each other. The extensions 3 of the screws q are preferably provided with flattened surfaces, as shown most clearly inFig. 3, whereby the screws u may be firmly engaged with the screws q and prevent the same from rotating.

A threaded nut '12 is provided for engagement with each screw q, the said screw qand nut o 1 constituting a means for adjusting the tension of the coil-spring a. Each nut o is provided with two recesses, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 4, at diametrically opposite points, either of these recesses being adapted to receive an extension of the key in the sleeve p, which projects slightly beyond the said sleeve toward the nut. The adjustingnuts thereby may readily be secured in the positions to which they have been adjusted without the aid of special locking-nuts. As the carbon brushes and their stems are freely movable longitudinally in the carbon-holder and yokes m, respectively, good electrical connection cannot be maintained between .the main wire 11 and the brushes simply through the medium of the brush holder and the brush-stems.

In accordance with my invention I provide a supplemental conductor which is adapted to effect connection between the terminal 2' and the brushes independently of the brushholders, and for this purpose I employ short wires 20 to, each secured at one end to the enlargement 0 of the brush-stem by means of a screw a: and at the other end to the shoulder y, intervening between the threaded and unthreaded portions of the screw q, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. Then the parts are assembled as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the tension of the brushes upon the commutator may be adjusted by the screw 1;. The current is conveyed from the terminal to the brushes principally by way of the brushholder, the transverse extensions 25 thereof, the portions 5 of the adjusting-screw q, the auxiliary conductors w, and the stemsl of the brushes. hen it is desired to remove the brushes, it is only necessary to loosen the screws to from their engagement with the screws g. It is apparent that it is not necessary to disconnect the auxiliary conductors w, nor is it necessary in the slightest degree to change the adjustment of the tension of the springs or when the brushes are to be removed. The longitudinal keyways in the screws q and the engaging keys in the sleeves p prevent the said screws from being rotated with reference to the nutso when the brushes are removed, so that the adjustment of the tension that has been previously effected cannot be destroyed when the brushes are removed.

I have thus provided a brush which is particularly adaptable for use in connection with motors used in automobiles, which may readily be removed and replaced, care only having to be exercised to have the shoulders y firmly seated upon the extensions t and to have the screws u brought firmly into engagement with the portions 5. To prevent current passing through the tension-springs, I preferably interpose insulating-washers a between the brushes and the tension-springs, so that the contiguous ends of the tensionsprings are not in electrical connection with the carbon brushes.

Changes may readily be made in the device of myinvention without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the precise construction shown but, I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with a brush, of a brush-holder therefor, a tension-spring for securing pressure of the brush upon the commutator, atension-screw provided with a keyway, a portion for effecting the adjustment of the tension-spring and provided with a key engaging the keyway in the tension-adjusting screw, the said portion being movable longitudinally of the tension-screw, and means for clamping the tension-screw to the brush-holder, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a brush, of a brush-holder therefor, a tension-spring for securing pressure of the brush upon the commutator, a tension-screw provided with a keyway, a portion for effecting the adjustment of the tension-spring and provided with a key engaging the keyway in the tension-adjusting screw, the said portion being movable longitudinally of the tension-screw, means for clamping the tension-screw to the brushholder, the said brush-holder being provided with means for attaching a main terminal thereto, and a supplementary conductor intervening between the brush and the tensionadjusting screw, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a brush-holder, of a brush, a stem projecting therefrom, a tension-spring inclosing the stem, a yoke inclosing the stem and movable longitudinally thereof, the said yoke being interposed between the spring and a shoulder, or enlargement, upon the stem, a threaded adjustingscrew, an adjusting-nut for engaging the same and also adapted for engagement with the said yoke to effect the longitudinal movement thereof in opposition to the spring, and clamping means for removably securing the adjusting-screw in electrical connection with the brush-holder, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with a brush-holder, of a brush, a stem projecting therefrom, a tension-spring inclosing the stem, a yoke inclosing the stem and movable longitudinally thereof, the said yoke being interposed between the spring and a shoulder, or enlargement, upon the stem, a threaded adjustingscrew, an adj listing-nut for engaging the same and also adapted for engagement with the said yoke to effect the longitudinal movement thereof in opposition to the spring, a shoulder y provided upon the adjusting-screw, an extension 15 projecting from the brush-holder, the said shoulder 1 being adapted for engagement with the extension 25 to limit the movement of the adjusting-screw toward the brushholder, and a screw it passing through the extension into engagement with the adjusting-screw, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a brush-holder, of a brush, a stem projecting therefrom, a tension-spring inclosing the stem, a yoke inclosing the stem and movable longitudinally thereof, the said yoke being interposed between the spring and a shoulder, or enlargement, upon the stem, a threaded adjustingscrew, an adj usting-nut forengagingthe same and also adapted for engagement with the said yoke to effect thelongitudinal movement thereof in opposition to the spring, clamping means for removably securing the adjustingscrew in electrical connection with the brushholder, the said brush-holder being provided with means for the adjustment of a main terminal therewith, and a supplementary conductor w connected between the stem of the brush and the adjusting-screw, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a brush-holder, of a brush, a stem projecting therefrom, a tension-spring inclosing the stem, a yoke inclosing the stem and movable longitudinally thereof, the said yoke being interposed between the spring and a shoulder, or enlargement, upon the stem, a threaded adjustingscrew, an adjusting-nut for engaging the same and also adapted for engagement with the said yoke to effect the longitudinal movement thereof in opposition to the spring, a shoulder 1 provided upon the adjusting-screw, an extension t projecting from the brush-holder, the said shoulder y being adapted for engagement with the extension t to limit the movement of the adjusting-screw toward the brush-holder, a screw "it passing through the extension into engagement with the adjusting-screw, the said brush-holder being provided with means for the attachment of a main terminal therewith,'and a supplementary conductor to connected between the stem of the brush and the adjusting-screw, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a brush-holder, of a brush, a stem projecting therefrom, a tension-spring inclosing the stem, a yoke inclosing the stem and movable longitudinally thereof, the said yoke being interposed between the spring and a shoulder, or enlargement, upon the stem, a threaded adjustingscrew, an adjusting-nut for engaging the same and also adapted for engagement with the said yoke to effect the longitudinal movement thereof in opposition to the spring, the said adjusting-screw being provided with a longitudinal keyway and the said yoke being provided with a key adapted for engagement with the keyway whereby the yoke is limited to a longitudinal movement with relation to the adjusting-screw, and clamping means for removably securing the adjusting-screw in connection with the brush-holder, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a brush-holder, of a brush, a stem projecting therefrom, a tension-spring inclosing the stem, a yoke inclosing the stem and movable longitudinally thereof, the said yoke being interposed between the spring and a shoulder, or enlargement, upon the stem, a threaded adjustingscrew, an adjusting-nut for engaging the same and also adapted for engagement with the said yoke to effect thelongitudinal movement thereof in opposition to the spring, the said adjusting-screw being provided with a longitudinal keyway and the said yoke being provided with a key adapted for engagement with the keyway whereby the yoke is limited to a longitudinal movement with relation to the adjusting'screw, and clamping means for removably securing the adjusting-screw in connection with the brush-holder, the adjusting-nut being provided with a recess adapted for engagement with the key provided upon the yoke, which key projects slightly therefrom whereby the adjustment of the tension after being secured, may readily be maintained, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a brush-holder, of a brush, a stem projecting therefrom, a tension-spring inclosing the stem, a yoke inclosing the stem and movable longitudinally thereof, the said yoke being interposed between the spring and a shoulder, or enlargement, upon the stem, a threaded adjustingscrew, an adj usting-nut for engaging the same and also adapted for engagement with the said yoke to effect the longitudinal movement thereof in opposition to the spring, clamping means for removably securing the adjustingscrew in connection with the brush-holder, the said brush-holder being provided with means for the adjustment of a main terminal therewith, and a supplementary conductor 20 connected between the brush-stem of the brush and the adj usting-screw,the said adj usting-screw being provided with a longitudinal keyway and the said yoke being provided with a key adapted for engagement with the keyway whereby the yoke is limited to a longi tudinal movement with relation to the adjusting-screw, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a brush-holder, of a brush, a stem projecting therefrom, a tension-spring inclosing the stem, a yoke inclosing the stem and movable longitudinally thereof, the said yoke being interposed between the spring and a shoulder, or enlargement, upon the stem, a threaded adjustingscrew, an adjusting-nut for engaging the same and also adapted for engagement with the said yoke to effect the longitudinal movement thereof in opposition to the spring, clamping means for removably securing the adjustingscrew in connection with the brush-holder, the said brush-holder being provided with means for the attachment of a main terminal therewith, and a supplementary conductor 10 connected between the stem of the brush and the adjusting-screw, the adjusting-nut being provided with a recess adapted for engagement with the key provided upon the yoke, which key projects slightly therefrom, whereby the adjustment of the tension after being secured may readily be maintained, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a brush,of a metal stem extending therefrom, a tension-spring screw and also adapted for mechanical engagement with the said yoke to efiect the longitudinal movement thereof in opposition to the spring, and clamping means for removably securing the adj ustingscrew to the brush-holder, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 10th day of November, A. D. 1899.

ALEXANDER CHUROHVVARD.

Witnesses:

CHARLES A. BROWN, CHARLES E. HUBERT. 

